Music is a part of everyone’s lives. For some people, it is an expression of oneself. For the people in the music industry, it has become a way of living. When it comes to the pride of creating such beautiful melody and lyrics, the song writer, the publisher, the author, copyright is of utmost importance. It is a unique branding, an ownership that goes beyond expression. In order to protect these song owners and the industry from losing money and music robbery, certain organizations have come in the form of superhero companies such as the ASCAP and BMI. But are they really the crime-busters or the criminals of their own law?

A little later after the enforcement of the Copyright Law in 1909, the organization, American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) was born. Founded by composer Victor Hennet in February of 1914, the organization was created to protect its members’ musical copyright. The basic principle was to collect licensing fees from the users of the music and monitor any performance, live, recorded or broadcast involving any song written and published by their members. The collections would then be distributed to its members in the form of royalties or private sector taxes.